Arsenal are among a long list of clubs interested in signing West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes following the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League
Arsenal may have to play the long game if they wish to sign Mateus Fernandes after West Ham slapped an £85million valuation on the player.
The Gunners are among a cluster of clubs keen on the Portuguese midfielder, who impressed at the London Stadium last season despite his side’s failure to avoid the drop.
West Ham are keen to make a huge profit on the 21-year-old after paying an initial £38m plus £4m in add-ons for Fernandes last summer when he joined from Southampton.
While Arsenal have him on their shortlist of targets, he is not the only midfielder under consideration.
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Initial contacts have also taken place with the camp of Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, who could be on the move this summer after three seasons on Tyneside.
At this stage, it appears unlikely that any club would be willing to match West Ham’s mammoth £85m asking price, which appears to have increased by £5m in the past week or so.
A number of other sides are also interested including Manchester United, Real Madrid and PSG, offering West Ham hope that they can drive an auction.
Fernandes’ wages are set to be slashed following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship and it’s currently deemed highly unlikely that he will stay put with the Irons this summer.
West Ham chiefs are believed to have met with Fernandes’ camp to communicate their transfer demands over the past few days as they plot a big rebuild under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Manchester United have already held talks with his entourage while PSG sporting director Luis Campos is keen on the Portugal international, who missed out on his national team’s World Cup squad.
The 21-year-old mustered three Premier League goals and four assists last season but was a prominent starter.
Arsenal are expected to bide their time in their search for midfield reinforcements and the general feeling around Fernandes is that his price-tag will eventually drop as no club is going to pay the £85m fee that has been mooted.
Mikel Arteta would ideally like to sign a profile of player that can operate as both a No.8 and No.6, therefore providing sufficient cover for Declan Rice.
Fernandes ticks that box, as does Tonali, though both players are not short of interest and will cost a premium.
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